ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sociol.
Sec. Work, Employment and Organizations
Beyond Cohorts: How age-based differences on work engagement challenge generational determinism among Spanish professionals
Maria Claudia Scurtu Tura 1,2
Annabel Jiménez Soto 1,2
Eduardo Infante Rejano 1,2
1. Sevilla University, Seville, Spain
2. Universidad de Sevilla Facultad de Psicologia, Seville, Spain
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Abstract
Underpinned by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study examines the effectiveness of generational classifications in predicting work engagement, challenging the assumption that birth cohorts determine professional behaviour. Using a quantitative research approach with a descriptive, cross-sectional design, the study targeted the broad population of active professionals across the Spanish labour market. A final sample of 339 participants (comprising Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z) was selected via non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Primary data were collected using an online questionnaire incorporating the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17). The results revealed significant differences in the vigour dimension with Baby Boomers scoring higher. Yet they also showed that sociodemographic variables (such as employment status) were more predictive than generational membership. In theoretical terms, this study contributes to the field by demonstrating that the resource-accumulation perspective of the JD-R model is a more effective explanatory framework than "generational determinism". Empirically, the study provides evidence from the Spanish context that organisational HR strategies should prioritise individual life stages and resource management over broad generational stereotypes.
Summary
Keywords
Employee well-being, Generational cohorts, Intergenerational dynamics, Organisational strategies, sociodemographic variables, work engagement
Received
29 September 2025
Accepted
10 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Scurtu Tura, Jiménez Soto and Infante Rejano. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Maria Claudia Scurtu Tura
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